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“We see a wide variety of folks, and the Bellingham location has a quite a few members of the queer community that work here. That broad range of customers is one aspect of the job that Thomas enjoys. We try to find a mix of all of those to have in store, because everybody is so different.”Įven though they are a niche market, Satori is dedicated to always having a selection of medicinal products on hand. “Blue Dream is a sativa dominant hybrid, but whereas sativas are known to make some people anxious, it’s actually been known to help with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because of its cannabinoid structure. “Particular strains have been known to help with particular things,” she continues. And then there are hybrids, which are a mix of the two. “There’s indica, which has the very calming, relaxing feel that some people go for, and then there’s sativa, which is very excitable, uplifting and artistic,” says Thomas. One challenge is learning about the vast variety of products available, each with its own specialty and use. We have Spokane farms here that do really well.”
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“A lot of them have actually gone on to our two other locations, because we like to show other parts of Washington what Bellingham has to offer, and vice versa. “We pride ourselves on having quite a few local options, and we do well with them,” she says. Photo credit: Steven ArbuckleĪlong with Dana Plotzki, who works out of Satori’s Spokane location, Thomas values doing business with local growers, and also enjoys bringing products in from other parts of the state. Satori’s name-and logo-is known across the state, as farms share their products at the store’s east and west side locations. It’s more expensive as well, so that’s why it’s hard to find.” By Washington law they have to send it in to a testing facility, who test for particular micro-toxins, pesticides and things like that. “If it’s going to be medical-grade cannabis, is has to go through rigorous testing. “Medicinal patients can have higher levels of THC and CBD in their edibles, and there are very few companies who make products like that,” Thomas says. Providing for patients who are using marijuana as medicine presents its own sets of challenges-for retailers as well as growers.
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“A lot of the folks from medical have transferred over to I-502 companies,” she says, “so I was really lucky to have a lot of relationships prior to Satori.” The work she did with her brother has been helpful in the position. Now she works for a different portion of Satori, doing the buying. She started at Satori as a budtender, and worked her way up to assistant store manager. “They focus on medical cannabis as best they can that’s what drew me to Satori,” she says. She was happy to find a home with a company that reflected her experience thus far. When Initiative 502 passed and medical collectives yielded to retail stores, Thomas moved with the tide. And that’s how I started working in purchasing.” “He was in charge of the flower and the concentrates, and I was in charge of the edibles and the tinctures. “I didn’t really know anything about cannabis at that point,” says Thomas. She wasn’t sure he was serious, but two weeks later he had opened and asked Thomas to work for him. Her brother asked if she’d be interested in working for him if he opened a medicinal marijuana collective. We’re seeing now how open our community is, and how strong it is, and that’s something I really enjoy.”Īfter spending a few years working at Lowe’s, and then some time at Rent-A-Center, Thomas joined a family business. “I really enjoy Bellingham for its diversity in different ways. “I was born in Nevada, grew up a little bit in North Dakota, then we moved here when I was younger,” Thomas says. After working as a purchaser at her brother’s medical marijuana collective, Thomas made the move to Satori and found a place as a retail purchaser.